Intermittent furrow forming device



June 28, 1955 v. WRIGHT 2,711,680

INTERMITTENT FURROW FORMING DEVICE Filed Feb. 20, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1f7 3/ 32 32 if I; l -5 INVEN OR.

June 28, 1955 v. WRIGHT 2,711,630

INTERMITTENT F URROW FORMING DEVICE Filed Feb. 20, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2IN V EN TOR.

United htatesPatent Q 2,711,680, I INTERMITTENT FORMING DEVICE VirgilLester Wright, Boone, Colo. Application February 20,-1953,Serial No,337,976

8 Claims. (Cl. 9.7-'..55)

This invention relates to an intermittent furrow plow. Such plows areusedfor forming furrows which are interrupted by damsv to form waterpockets or pools for holding and preventing runoff of surface water;

The principal object of this invention is to provide a relatively simpleimplement which can be attached to a conventional farm tractonand whichwill form two alternating series of furrows, each furrow beinginterrupted by water-retaining dams, with the dams of one series offurrows positioned in staggered arrangement to, the dams in the otherseries of furrows.

A further object of'the invention is to provide a device in which twoindependent rotating furrow forming mechanisms will be mounted on androtate about a single axis or shaft so as to reduce the size weight and"complications involved in multiple shaft implements.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of theinventiomwhich is desi'gned for s implicity, economy, and efficiency.These will become more apparent from the following description. I

,In'the following detailed description of the invention, reference ishad'to the accompanying drawing; whieh forms a part hereof. Likenumerals, refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughoutthe description. v

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a f' gmentary plan view of the improved intermittent furrowplow;

Fig. 2 is aside view of the rear portion thereofrand Fig. 3' is across-section, taken on the line33, l.

The invention comprises a'triangular main frame consisting oftwo drawbars terminating at their forward extremities in a tractor attachmentfitting 1:1 and secured at their rear separated extremities to atransverse frame tube 12'. The draw bars 10 and the frame tube. arerigidly braced into a unitary frame by welded angle braces/.23.

The frame tube 12 terminates at its opposite extremities-in permanentlyfixed, parallel, rearwardly-extending, supporting arms 13. The frametube is supportedfrom ground-engaging wheels 14 journaled on stub axles15 projecting outwardlyfrom wheel levers '16. Each of the wheel leversis hingedly mounted at its rearward extremity, on a hinge shaft 17carried in brackets 18' projecting from the frame tube 12.

The height of the frame tube above the ground, indicated' by the groundline in Figs. Zand 3, can be regu lated by swinging the wheel levers 16.This is accomplished through the medium of two hand levers 19, therebeing one hand lever for each wheel. Each hand lever is adjustablyconnectedto a rotatable toothed sector 20, which in turn is permanentlyconnected to the levers 1,6

by means of a connecting link 21 The hand levers 19 can be set at anydesired angular position ina second fixed, toothed sector 22 which isrigidly supported from the-frame tube 12 and-the draw bars 10 upon theer ctrer'nities of the angle braces 23. d

The rotatable sector 20 is employed for setting the relation between thehandlevers 19 and the wheel levers 16, and the fixed sector 22 isemployed for setting the position of the wheels 14 relative to theimplement frame. It can be seen. that whenv .the. forward extremity ofthe main frame is supported from a tractor or other towing vehicle,therear extremities of the supporting arms 1.3 will project rearwardly ascantilevers supported from the wheels -14. t

A. fixed plow shaft 24 is securedwtoand extends hori- "Ice zontallybetween the rear extremities of the supporting arms 13 in parallelrelation to the frame tube 12, The plow shaft may be secured to the arms13 in any desired manner. As illustrated, it is clamped thereto by meansof suitable U-bolts 25.

An elongated, rectangular, outer plow frame 26 and a similar inner plowframe 27 are rotatably mounted about the plow shaft 24. Each plow frameconsists of two end members joined by parallel longitudinal tubes, asillustrated. The, end members of each plow frame are journalled on theplow shaft 24 by means of suitable bearings 28 so that normally the twoplow frames may rotate freely and. independently about the plow shaft24.

A plurality of spaced plow arms 29 project oppositely outward from theside longitudinal members of the outer frame 2 6. Each plow arm 29carries a furrow-forming shovel 30. A plurality of similar, spaced plowarms 31 project oppositely outward from the side longitudinal members ofthe inner plow frame 27 and carry furrowforming shovels 32. The plowarms 29 and 3 1 are so positioned that the shovels 30 will form furrowsintermediate the furrows formed. by the shovels 32.

In the drawing, the inner frame 27 is illustrated with one of its setsof shovels 32 in the furrow-forming position. Each'frame is maintainedin the plowing position by means of two trip arms 33, there being onetrip arm 33 suspended from each of the hinge shafts 17 adiacent eachextremity of the frame tube 12. Each trip arm terminates at its rearwardextremity in an upwardly extending hook-34 positioned to engage a latchpin. 35'. The latch pins 35 are carried between pin brackets 36 whichare welded or otherwise formed on. the longitudi nalside members of thetwo frames 26 and 27 in align ment' with the position of the .trip arms33. The trip arms 33 are hinged at their forward extremities, as will belater described, and are free to swing in vertical planes at theirrearward extremities.

The hooks 34 are urged upwardly into engagement with the latch pins 35by means of tension springs 37 suspended from spring brackets 38 formedon and projectingrearwardly from the frame tube 12, and are connected attheir lower extremities with the trip arms 33. During the plowingoperation, one of the frames is.in the position illustrated with thehooks 3.4 engaging the pins 35. The other plow frame is rotating aboutits free under the inertia of the forward movement of the plow.

The rotating plow frame continues to coast until its latch pins 35strike cam bosses 39 formed on .the trip arms 33. The impact causes thetrip arms tobe forced downwardly against the action of the springs 37 sothat the hooks 34 will release the plowing plow frame allowing it toswingrearwardly. The descending latch pins of the rotating plow framewill then move from the cam bosses 39 into engagement with ,the hooks3.4 and initiate the plowing cycle of the second frame. The latter cyclewill continue until the opposite side of the first plow frame approachesthe bottom, at which time its latch pins will again release the hooks3.4 from the plowing frame so as to initiate a second cycle of plowingfor the descending frame.

Thus, it can be seen that the shovelsv at the first side of the outerframe will plow furrows for a short distance. They will then be releasedand the shovels at the first side of the inner plow frame will continuethe furrows in offset relation for a second plowing cycle, at thetermination of which the shovels will be released and replaced by theshovels at thesecond side of the first frame and the latter will befollowed in sequence by the shovels at the second side of the secondframe. Thus, the four sets of plow Shovels on the two frames will eachplow in succession to form groups of short,

elongated furrows or pockets,'the successive groups of pockets beingpositioned in staggered or off-set relation to the adjacent sets.

It has been found that the impact of the latch pins 35 against the hooks34 is rather severe, and might result in damage to the mechanism. Inthis improved construction, the impact is absorbed without damage byhinging each trip arm 33, adjacent its forwardextremity, on a hinge pin49 carried inan L-Shaped shock-absorber arm 41. The latter arm is inturn hingedupon the hinge shaft 17 above the hinge pin 40 and extendsforwardly from its hingeaxis. The forwardly extendingportion of the arm41 is urged upwardly by a shock absorber spring 42 suspended from asecond spring bracket 43 extending forwardly from the frame tube 12.

It can be seen that the impact of the latch pins 35 will tend to pullthe trip arms rearwardly. These arms can move rearwardly to cushion theimpact by swinging the hinge pins 40 rearwardly, causing the forwardextremities of the arms 41 to stretch the shock-absorbing springs 42 toabsorb the force of the impact.

To prevent damage to the mechanism should the shovels encounter rocks orother immovable objects, means are provided for automatically releasingthe plow frames from their plowing positions. This is accomplished byextending a flexible element, such as a length of flexible cable 44,from the forward extremity of each shock-absorber arm 41 over a pulley45, supported from the bracket 43, thence downwardly to an extensionlever 46 extending forwardly from the adjacent trip arm 33. 1

Let us assume the plowing shovels encounter an immovable object. Thiswill cause the trip arms to be pulled rearwardly so as to swing theforward extremities of the shock-absorber arms downwardly. The downwardmovement of the latter forward extremities will be transmitted throughthe cable 44 to the extension levers 46 so as to urge the latterupwardly so as to swing the rear extremities of the trip arms 33downwardly until they release their engaged latch pins 35 and free theplowingplow frame.

When commencing plowing, it may occasionally be necessary to start therotation of the second plow frame by hand while the first frame isplowing. When once started, however, the two frames continue toalternately trip until the forward speed drops to substantially onehalfmile per hour or less.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described andillustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied,within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired securedby Letters Patent is:

1. An intermittent furrow plow comprising:

a supporting frame; wheels supporting said frame from the ground; a plowshaft supported in said supporting frame transversally of the path ofmovement of said supporting frame; an elongated, rectangular inner plowframe rotatably mounted on said plow shaft with its longer axis-parallelto said shaft; a similar outer plow frame similarly mounted in said plowshaft with its extremities extending beyond the extremities of the innerframe; a plurality of spaced shovels projecting from both sides of bothframes; a latch member carried on both sides of both frames; and a triparm hinged to said supporting frame and provided with a hooked extremitypositioned in the plane of the paths of said latch members so as tosuccessively engage the latter to successively restrain rotation of saidframes when the shovels on a side thereof are in plowing position, thelatch members of each frame being adapted to engage and release saidtrip arm from a preceding frame as the shovels of the next successiveframe approach the plowing position.

'2. An intermittent furrow plow as described in claim 1 having a shockabsorber member pivotally mounted 1} on said supporting frame, said triparm being hingedly mounted on said shock absorber member eccentricallyof the pivot of said member so that tension in said trip arm will tendto rotate saidshock absorber member; and resilient means acting toresist said rotation.

3. An intermittent furrow plow as described in claim 2 having releasingmeans connected with said trip arm and adapted to disengage the latterfrom an engaged latch member when the" tension in said trip arm exceedsa predetermined stress.

4. An intermittent furrow plow as described in claim 3 in which thereleasing means comprises: a lever affixed to and extending from thehinged axis of said trip arm oppositely to the hooked extremity thereof;and connecting meanssecured to and extending between said shock-absorbermember and said lever and acting to swing said lever to pry said triparm from engagement with said latch member in consequence of therotation of said shock-absorber member.

5. An intermittent furrow plow comprising: a supporting frame adapted tobe hitched to a towing vehicle; a horizontal plow shaft supported by andextending transversally of the path of travel of said supporting frame;a first elongated, rectangular plow frame rotatably mounted on said plowshaft; a second similar plow frame rotatably and independently mountedon each plow shaft, each of said plow frames having two relatively longside members joined by two relatively short end members, the sidemembers extending parallel to and being equally spaced from said plowshaft and the end members being journalled at their middles on said plowshaft; an aligned series of spaced plow shovels mounted along andextending outwardly from the side members of each plow frame; and meansfor stopping the rotation of each plow frame when a set of shovelsthereon is in engagement with the earth, said means comprising a triparm; means for hingedly suspending the forward extremity of said triparm from said supporting frame, said arm extending rearwardly to aposition in the path of rotation of said plow frames; a hook formed onthe rear extremity of said trip arm; engaging means on each side of eachplow frame, each of said engaging means being adapted to engage saidhook when a series of shovels on its respective frame is in plowingposition to stop rotation of that frame; spring means urging said hookinto engagement with said engaging means; and means for releasing saidhook at intervals.

6. An intermittent furrow plow as described in claim 5 in which the oneplow frame will be rotating under kinetic energy while the other plowframe is stopped by said hook, and having means on the rotating framefor engaging releasing means on said trip arm to release said hook fromthe stopped plow frame as a series of shovels on the rotating plow frameapproaches plowing position.

7; An intermittent furrow plow as described in claim 6 in which thereleasing means comprises: a cam-like boss mounted on the top of therearward extremity of said trip arm and positioned to be engaged by thedescending side of the rotating plow frame so as to release said hookfrom the stopped plow frame.

8. An intermittent furrow plow as described in claim 7 havingshock-absorbing means mounted between said trip arm and said supportingframe and acting to absorb the impact resulting from the engagement ofsaid hook with the successive rotating frames.

Referenc es Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,799,098' Hendrick Mar. 31, 1931 2,044,304' James June 16, 19362,103,116 Peacock Dec. 21, 1937 2,323,460 Dornrese et al. July 6, 19432,614,375 Calkins Oct. 21, 1952 ,4, l w 4 A s 44

